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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stock — shares
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. swing — in golf
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rash — hasty
  8. club — a group
  9. swing — music
  10. wax — to grow
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stock — goods
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. roll — a list
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. swing — to play on
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rash — a series
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com